Inspector Tech Tips
The inventor and patient holder of the Inspector camera, Tom O'Connor offers practical tips on using the Inspector camera productively and profitably (without crossing any ethical lines).
Quotes from The Inspector by Tom O'Connor, author of:
"The Inspector: A Closer Look at Furnace Heat Exchangers"
Question:
As a technician, should I be looking for problems on a customer's furnace?
Answer:
You'd sure better be. That doesn't mean you hope to find any, and certainly doesn't mean that you want to create any problems. No, you don't have to leave your ethics behind either. There is so much honest work out there, but you do have to be on the look out for it. Your customers are depending on you to give them a thorough and comprehensive evaluation of their furnace and or air conditioner. Make sure you do!
Question:
Can a service technician generate a sales lead while on a service or maintenance call?
Answer:
Yes, this is a very natural scenario. Customers many times will trust the technician almost automatically. They will ask questions like, "What would you do if this was your furnace?” If the customer didn't trust the technician, they would never ask the question. This customer trust is something that should be nurtured and developed in all that you say and do. This is a solemn trust that should never be used to do anything that is not first and foremost in the customer's best interest. Don't give this trust simple "lip service", rather make it your creed! Nothing builds credibility and trust for you with your customers better than the use of the Inspector in their presence. Seeing is believing, and they will believe what you can show them.
Question:
Would it be OK to have just one Inspector in a HVAC company so that it could be brought out in times of need?
Answer:
That thinking defeats the very principal of using the Inspector to begin with. If we could accurately determine upon which furnaces the Inspector was needed, we wouldn’t need the Inspector in the first place. Many times cracks or holes are found that simply weren’t visible by any other means. This is no place for guessing, or taking a gamble. Leave the roulette to the casinos.
Question:
Should we ask the customer if they want their heat exchanger inspected with the Inspector camera?
Answer:
The safety inspection is too important to drop in the lap of the customer with a “yes or No” question that they are unprepared to answer properly. Would your Doctor ask you if it was OK to take your blood pressure? He would simply state that he needs you to roll up your sleeve because he is going to take your blood pressure. The Doctor is the professional and he controls his procedures, not you. The same is true with the safety inspection of your customer’s furnace. Simply announce that you will be performing this safety test, and that will suffice. Customers see this as an impressive addition to the in home service you are providing.
Question:
If I find a hole or a crack in a furnace’s heat exchanger, but the customer insists on having repairs or a cleaning done anyway, should I go ahead and do the work as long as the customer signs off on it?
Answer:
No, integrity works both ways here. We not only want to never cheat a customer, but also never put them in harms way with a real safety issue. It is better to lose the customer than to knowingly put them at risk. This is no time to be bullied into doing something that you know is wrong.
Two points to consider here are:
- Make darned sure you are right in your diagnosis. You must be able to see water coming through the heat exchanger, beyond question, with your water spray test. Note: If the leak is along a seam, you should confirm it with an alternative method of inspection, to be sure.
- It is crucial in this scenario that you make a video record of your findings. I recommend you make two tapes. One for your own records and one to leave with the customer. The videotape should show your findings using the water spray test. The tape should also identify the surrounding area of the furnace and the ID plate of the furnace, and then show the problem area of the heat exchanger.
